USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

Alzheimer's Talks TODAY! On Tuesday, March 8, from 3 to 4 p.m. ET, we will speak with Dr. Lawrence Friedhoff of Axovant Sciences about the MINDSET study, a clinical trial currently seeking participants. MINDSET is studying an investigational treatment for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease to see if it improves cognition and the ability to perform daily living activities like going to the bathroom and tying your shoes. Sign up to learn more about the latest research on Alzheimer’s and how you can get involved. 

A March 7, 2016 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s statement highlighted Nancy Reagan’s Alzheimer’s legacy. According to UsAgainstAlzheimer's Chairman George Vradenburg, “Together, the Reagans brought Alzheimer’s out of the shadows and courageously showed the world that this disease affects everyone. Nancy Reagan’s legacy as an Alzheimer’s caregiver and advocate will long be remembered. We join all Americans, and those throughout the world, in sending our condolences to the entire Reagan family.”

A March 7, 2016 Diverse Elders Coalition blog post by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Latino Network director Jason Resendez highlighted a LULAC News Magazine interview with LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s patient and caregiver advocate Daisy Duarte about the importance of clinical research. According to the Duarte, “I’m enrolled in the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) study, which means that I take medication monthly and skills tests throughout the year. While it’s hard to balance life, caregiving, and participating in research; it’s extremely important. If my participation contributes to finding a cure for someone in the future – whether it’s me or my nieces and nephews – it will all be worth it. It’s so important for Latinos and other minorities to engage in clinical trial research. We need to make sure that our communities have a voice in the research process.”

MUST READS

A March 7, 2016 The New York Times article reported on the “desire to know” and the growing availability of Alzheimer’s gene tests. According to the article, “In the extended Reiswig family, Alzheimer’s disease is not just a random occurrence. It results from a mutated gene that is passed down from parent to child. If you inherit the mutated gene, Alzheimer’s will emerge at around age 50 — with absolute certainty. Your child has a 50-50 chance of suffering the same fate. The revelation came as a shock. And so did the next one: The brothers learned that there is a blood test that can reveal whether one carries the mutated gene. They could decide to know if they had it. Or not. It’s a dilemma more people are facing as scientists discover more genetic mutations linked to diseases. Often the newly discovered gene increases risk, but does not guarantee it.”

A March 7, 2016 McClatchyDC.com article reported on Nancy Reagan’s Alzheimer’s legacy and its impact on the research community. According to the article, “Donna Wilcock, the Sweeney-Nelms professor in Alzheimer’s research at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, called it the ‘Reagan effect.’ ‘When I came into the field, very little research resources were being put into Alzheimer’s disease,’ said Wilcock, who’s researched the disease for 17 years. “The awareness of the disease and the push to provide significant resources for research and care really started with Reagan.”

A March 7, 2016 NewsMax.com article reported that “The findings, by Tufts University researchers, indicate that prolonged consumption of a Western diet — high in fat, salt, sugar, and carbs — when combined with a sedentary lifestyle led to an increase susceptibility to Alzheimer’s.”

INTERESTING READS FROM AROUND THE WEB

Miami Herald: Letter to the Editor Alzheimer’s disease

Consumers Affairs: Alzheimer's disease may be more versatile than previously thought

Forbes: Nancy Reagan's Caregiving Legacy

NPR: Stem Cell Pioneer: Nancy Reagan Brought Alzheimer's 'Into The Public Sphere'